Man arrested in pepper spraying incident lost savings in carnival game last year

MANCHESTER — A homeless man was accused of dousing a man with pepper spray Monday, a year after he made national headlines for losing his life savings in a carnival game.

Henry Gribbohm lost $2,600 trying to win an XBox Kinect game system for his kids at a carnival game called “Tubs of Fun” in April 2013. He told police when he complained to carnival management that he believed the game was rigged, he received $600 in cash and a giant banana with dreadlocks.

After his story gained media attention, he earned a $2,600 check and a spot on the VH1 comedy show “Best Week Ever. He also garnered attention from the humor website CollegeHumor.com, which pledged to buy Gribbohm’s banana for $2,600.

Last year Gribbohm told police he lived in Epsom, but police on Monday said the 31-year-old had no fixed address.

Police said they went to Grove Street about 5 p.m. for a report of a man harassing some neighbors. They found an intoxicated Gribbohm standing outside in front of a Grove Street building.

No crime was committed, so police left.

Five hours later, however, police received another report of a fight. Katharine Brown, 43, and her son, Nathan Brown, 20, both of 279 Grove St., told police Gribbohm walked down a rear alley to their home and picked a fight with Nathan Brown.

Gribbohm allegedly threw a beer bottle at Brown and then pepper sprayed him in the face.

The beer bottle missed, but police said Brown felt and showed the full effects of the pepper spray.

Gribbohm was arrested and charged with simple assault and possession of marijuana after, police said, he was searched and the drug was found on him.

At his arraignment Tuesday morning in 9th Circuit Court-District Division-Manchester, Gribbohm pleaded innocent to both charges; trial was set for July 17.

A police prosecutor, who said Gribbohm has an 11-page criminal history, requested $1,000 cash/surety bail on the new charges. Grobbohm objected, saying: “I just don’t believe setting a cash bail is appropriate. I would like to have personal recognizance bail.”

Judge John Emery went with the $1,000 cash/surety bail recommendation, with provisions that include no contact with Nathan Brown and not going within 100 yards of 279 Grove St.